Permutation lock



April 21, 1931.

s. A. ADAMS 1,802,041

PERMUTATION LOCK Filed Dec. 12, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 PATENT SIMON A MS. LYNN, MAS$ACHUSETES rnalvru'rarron nocK Application filed December 12, 1929. Serial No. 413,573.

The invention aims primarily to providea generally improved and simplified permuta tion lock which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, yet will 5 be, highly eificient and practically pick-proof.

In carrying out the. above end, further aims are to provide, a unique locking ring within the lock body, to provide unique means for turning this ring to either locked-or released 10 position, to. provide novel meansfor yieldably holding the ring. in the various positions to which it may be' turnechan o p ovide i ple and eflicient construction whereby the ombination-f the lo k may-be v ri d in a great number of ways.

Withthe foregoing in view, the invention resides in the, novel. subject :matter hereinafterdescribed and claimed, description bei ingiaccomplis ed by f re to the ac om- 20 panying drawings.

Fig. 1 is. a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is, a front elevation with the cover plate. and the ring-operating means removed. F ig; 3 is a rear elevation of the cover plate 55 and the means for operating and yieldably h lding t e lo king r gs n Ejgs. 4-. and 5 are sectional views on the correspondingly numbered lines of; Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a number of 30 the features Of construction shown Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one, of the ring-opera ing knobs, d t fi ge and springv detent connected with the inner end of said knobtrate the preferred form of construction and while such construction will be herein specifically. explained, it is to be understood that within the scope of the, invention as claimed,

aria ions maye ma e.-

The numeral 8-den0tes. a member for attachment to one of two relatively movable parts to be locked together, while '9 denotes a lock body. for attachment to the other of said parts. The member 8 is preferably in the orm, f a lengt f, ang e. meta W t a P rality of rigid hooks 10 securedto one of'its flanges. The lock body 9, is constructed to embedy a p urality of epamte units. U- for 9 locking the hooksIO, but as the constructions I I and ring 21 is turned from the position shown The drawings above briefly described illus of all ofthese units are identical, only one will be described in detail.

The body 9. is shown in the form of a flat plate having thinned edge portions ll which constitute attaching flanges, and the relatively thick portion of the plate is preferably PM)? vided with a plurality of recesses 12 which d cr as i e g a d feet a sav g n m te i th ck o y. PQItiOl is Previded with a shallow open-sided recess 13 hav- .5 ing a sidewall 14 of circular form. The innor side wall 15 of this recessl3,is formed With a circular rib 16 Whose outer edge is notched t0 p plurality o tchet teeth 17, a i n 1 5 spre e ably Pre- C39 r led with an pening sa Opening and saidrib 16 being concentric with the circular sidewall 1i. An entrance passage 19 f r the hook 10 is provided, said passage extending from one, edge of the body 9 through the 'cir- 7p cular side wall 1a of the recess 13 and being formed partially in the inner wall; 15 of said recess. To prevent excessive thickening of he o y t may be prQv de v -th ofiset portion 20 in which the passage 19 is formed.

A floating locking ring 21 for the hook 10, is rotatably received in the recess 13 andcon tacts with the circular side wall 1a of said recess, saidring. having a gap 22 through which the bill 23' of the hook 10 may pass, when s i g pis in r g st a n wi h h passage 19, as shown in Fig. 2. When the hook lOiS in its innermost-position however, (Fig, 2)

in this view, said ring engages the outer side 3 of the hook bill 23and consequently prevents outward movement of the 11091;.

A cover plate 24 is provided for. the recess said ove being secured in place by any desired means, such as screws 25 having their he ds d sp sed. at the. i ner sid of: the body so that said heads are inaccessible when said body issecured in place. Plate 2 is provided with an opening 26 concentric with the ec sse outer end o sa d opening being pr fe ab y c untersunk as at 26%. knob 28 a e erior of he. plate. 24. is provided with a flange 29 rotatably received in the countersink 26*, said knob being provided with a hub po tion- 30 which passes through the opening 26. A flat finger 27 lies against the inner end of the hub 30 and is received in a port-ion of the gap 22, said finger being connected with the knob as hereinafter described, so that upon rotation of said knob, the ring 21 will be rotated to either lock or re lease the lock. A spring metal detent 31 lies against the inner side of the finger 27 and is provided with a nose 32 successively co-operable with the ratchet teeth 17 when the knob is turned. One side of the finger 27 is provided with an outwardly projecting stud 33 receivable in any of a plurality of sockets 34 in the knob hub 30. The other side of finger 27 is provided with a stud 35 which projects in the opposite direction and is received in an opening 36 in the detent 31, the two studs 33 and 35 being preferably formed by opposite ends of a single pin which passes tightly through an opening inthe finger 27. A screw 37 passes through the detent 31 and through the finger 27 and is threaded into the knob 28 to secure these parts tightly in assembled relation, the head of said screw being accessible at the opening 18.

Loosening this screw suiiiciently, pulling out upon the knob 28 until said knob disengages the stud 33, turning the knob so that another of its socket-s 34 will receive the stud 33, and again tightening the screw 37, serves to change the combination of the lock, by varying the relation between the lock-releasing finger 27 and the numbers provided on the flange 29.

-When the hooks 10 are all received in the passages 19 and their bills 23 passed entirely through the gaps 22 of the rings 21, all of these rings may be turned to cause them to lock said hooks against withdrawal. Consequently, the members 8 and 9 are locked together until an authorized person so turns the knobs 28 as to again aline the gaps 22 v with the passages 19, at which time, the hooks 10 are free to move outwardly, allowing separation of the two parts to which the members 8 and 9 are secured. As the knobs are turned, the noses 32 of the detents 31 snap over the ratchet teeth 16 to prevent undesired turning of parts when released position is reached. These same parts prevent accidental turning of the knobs, rings, etc., when the parts are in locked position. Vhenever advisable, the combination of the lock may be changed, and the construction is such that at the factory, with the same lock construction, an unusual number of difi'erent combinations may be provided.

It will be seen from the foregoing that novel provision has been made for carrying out the Objects of the invention, but attention is again invited to the fact that within the scope of said invention as claimed, variations may be made.

I claim 1. In a permutation lock, a lock body having an entrance passage for a member to be locked, a floating locking ring rotatably confined in said body and having a gap for registration with said passage, and means for rotating said ring, embodying a knob at the exterior of said body and a finger within the body driven by said knob, said finger being received in the gap of said ring.

2. A permutation lock comprising a body having an open-sided recess provided with a circular side wall, said body having a passage extending radially into said recess through said circular side wall and formed partly in the inner wall of the recess, said passage being adapted to receive a member to be locked, a floating locking ring rotatably received in said recess in contact with said circular side wall thereof, said ring having a radial gap for registration with said passage, a closure plate extending across the open side of said recess and secured to said body, said plate having an opening, a finger at the inner side of said plate received in said gap, a knob at the outer side of said plate, and a connection between said knob and finger passing through said opening, whereby turning of said knob will cause said finger to turn said locking ring.

3. In a permutation lock, a lock body having an entrance passage for a member to be locked, a floating locking ring rotatably confined in said body and having a gap for registration with said passage, said body having an annular series of teeth within the confines of said ring, a knob at the exterior of the body, means connecting said knob and ring for rotating the latter, and a spring detent connected with said knob and successively engageable with said teeth upon rotation of knob and ring.

4. A permutation lock comprising a body having an open-sided recess provided with a circular side wall, the inner wall of said recess having an annular series of teeth concentric with said side wall, said body having a passage extending radially into said recess through said side wall and formed partly in said inner wall of the recess to receive a member to be locked, a floating ring rotatably received in said recess in contact with said side wall thereof, said ring having a radial gap for registration with said passage, a closure plate extending across the open side of said recess and secured to said body, said plate having an opening concentric with said recess, a knob at the exterior of said plate having a portion received in said opening, and a finger and a spring detent secured to said knob portion, said finger being received in said gap of said ring for rotating the latter, said spring detent being yieldably engaged with said teeth.

5. In a permutation lock, a movable bodycontained locking member, a body-contained operating member for saidlocking member,

said operating member having an opening, a detent lying against the inner side of said operating member and having an opening alined with the first named opening, a knob at the exterior of the lock body having a portion extending to the interior of the latter and disposed against the outer side of said operating member, said knob portion having a series of sockets, one of which is alined With said alined openings, a pinpassing through said alined openings and into said one of said sockets, and a fastener removably securing said knob, detent and operating member together.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SIMON A. ADAMS. 

